Cold-storage building



(No Model.)

A. I. DEXTER. COLD STORAGE BUILDING.

Patented Sept. 11, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AVELYN I. DEXTER, OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN.

COLD-STORAGE BUILDING.

SPEGIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 525,695, dated September 11, 1894.

` Application tiled October 23, 1893. Serial No, 488,861. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AVELYN I. DEXTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wauwatosa, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator or `Cold-Storage Buildings, of which the following is a specification'. Y

My invention relates to improvements in` that class of refrigerator or cold storage buildings which combine in a single plant a system of both natural and chemical refrigeration.

My invention pertains more especially to the peculiar construction and arrangement of the storage rooms, the air ues and draft controlling appliances by which the combined action of the two systems may be made effective, the currents of air from each may be mingled and modified as desired, and air of various degrees of temperature controlled at will and conducted to any of the several storage rooms, whereby each of the several storage rooms in the building may be supplied with and maintained at just such a temperature as is best adapted to preserve the kind of produce in such room. It is a well known fact that a low temperature which is best adapted to preservemeat, tish and other animal products would destroy eggs, fruit, &c., which require a higher temperature; while other products are best preserved by an intermediate temperature.

My invention also pertains to the heat intercepting air iin es of the storage rooms. As cold is a negative state or condition which is attained by the absence of heat, the storage rooms being once cooled, the desired temperature is easily maintained at a small expense of ice so long as the heat which penetrates the exterior walls can be intercepted and prevented from reaching the storage rooms. This most desirable object is attained by a novel arrangement of the heat intercepting air tlues located around theinterior of the inclosing wall.

Heretofore the warm air tlues have always led direct from the ceiling or upper part of the storage room to the upper part of the ice room above, as the warm air, owing to its buoyancy will not enter a ue direct from the lower part of the room.

By my improvement the warm air Vat the upper part of the storage room enters the flue at that point, which ue leadsV rst downward to the floor and then upward to the upper part of the ice roo`m,whereby the air is caused to pass twice between the exterior wall and the storage room before escaping, thus eiectually intercepting such heat asrmay penetratethe exterior wall, and carrying it to the ice room, while such heat has avtendencypto accelerate the movement of the air as 1t rlses in said intercepting airtlues.

My invention is further explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-` n Y Figure l representsV a vertical section thereof. Fig. 2 is a detailrepresenting avertical section of the upper ends of the ice tanks N and that portion of the floor and cover through which they communicate with the ice storage room. Y

Like parts are represented by the same reference letters.

The inclosing walls A of the building are preferably lined with mineral wool or other non-conductor of heat, in the ordinary way. Ice is stored in the upper part of the building in the room B, beneath which any desired number of separate storage rooms C, D, E and F, may be located. When in operation the cold air from the ice room, owing to its greater specic gravity descends to the storage room below the tioor G, While the warmer air, displaced thereby is caused to pass up into the ice room above. As there is no direct means of communication between the lower room and the ice room the air in passing to the ice room is caused to enter the tlues I, at their upper ends through the opening J', when it passes down in said flue I, and from thence through the opening K, when it passesl up through the ilue L, over the upper edge of the wall M, into the upper part of the ice room. Thus a circulation of air to and from the ice room through the storage rooms is maintained, and the storage rooms are kept at as low a temperature as can be produced by the nat? ural ice alone. Y

To produce a still lower temperature by ICO chemical refrigeration, a series of metallicv tanks N, are provided which tanks are suspended from the iioor of the ice room within or excluded from any one or more of said storage rooms, whereby by the adjustment of said doors the temperature of any of the rooms may be regulated to any desired intermediate degree between the two extremes as the produce in such room may require. Communication with the iiues I, is controlled by the doors S. The upper ends of the ice tanks N are provided with a door J When in operation the moisture of the atmosphere congeals upon the surface of the tanks N. By breaking and removing'such ice from the tanks at frequent intervals the action of the refrigerator is accelerated and a dry atmosphere, important for the proper preservation of the produce, is maintained.

For convenience in removing the ice from the tank, the Walls P of the air flue are'provided with doors A. Q is a trough formed for the reception of the ice as it is broken from the freezing tanks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a refrigerator or cold storage building, the combination of an ice storage room; one

or more produce storage rooms located below 35 said ice storage room; downward coldair dues communicating from said ice storage room to said produce rooms; and heat intercepting fiues communicating first downward and then upward from the upper parts of said produce 4o storage rooms to said ice storage room, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. 'Ihe combination in a refrigerator or cold storage building of two or more produce storage rooms: a chemical refrigerator: cold air 45 distributing yfines communicating Vbetween said chemical refrigerator and said produce storage rooms: an ice storage room located above said chemical refrigerator and-warm airlines, communicating from the upper part 5o of said produce-storage rooms, first downward and then upward to the upper part of -sald lee storage room, all substantially as and Vforthe purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aiix' my signature in 55 

